


Have We Met Before?

by JetGirl1832, tomatopudding



Series: Friends Make Life A Lot More Fun [15]
Category: Rent - Larson
Genre: Benny is a Jerk, Canon Jewish Character, Chance Meeting, Eviction, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Jewish Characters, New Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-23 01:52:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9635627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetGirl1832/pseuds/JetGirl1832, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomatopudding/pseuds/tomatopudding
Summary: For one Mark never thought he'd see her again, and certainly not like this.September 1991





	

Mark, Roger, and Mimi had just returned from an evening at the Life Cafe. There was a carefree and joyful air about them as they walked up the stairs to the loft. But Mark paused on the steps when he noticed a large pile of boxes on one of the landings and the girl who seemed to be contemplating them fiercely.

“Are you alright?” Mark asked as Roger and Mimi went past.

The girl stopped and looked up at him, when she did it was as if an arrow had gone straight through him. He knew her, there was no denying that. He had never met another person with eyes like that, except the last time there was warmth in her eyes. This time the stormy grey was cold and unforgiving.

“I’m doing as well as I can be for someone who has just been evicted,” The girl grumbled.

Mark racked his brain for her name, for godsake he lost his virginity to her he should know her name, “Riley?” he sputtered slightly.

Riley raised an eyebrow, “Do I know you?”

Had it really been that long? He recognized her immediately and yet she had no idea who he was?

“Hello?” Riley waved her hand in front of his face, “are you just gonna stand there or are you going to tell me why I’m supposed to know you?”

Mark blinked a couple of times, “M-Mark… It’s me, Mark?”

Riley still didn’t seem to place his name, she probably knew hundreds of guys named Mark... But all of a sudden recognition flooded across her face, “Mark? Like scrawny, bespectacled Mark?”

“Yeah…” Mark nodded his head, “I suppose so.”

“Wow,” Riley laughed, “It’s been what five years? And as you can see I have just been thoroughly screwed over,” she gestured to the boxes surrounding her.

“Hey Mark, what is taking so long?” Roger called as he walked down the stairs, “who is this?” he gestured to Riley.

“This is Riley,” Mark paused, he realized that he had never learned her last name.

“Kantor,” Riley supplied as she held out her hand to Roger, who shook it firmly, “You are?”

Mark looked over at Riley. Kantor? Was she Jewish?

"Roger Davis," the musician replied, looking between the two of them, "How do you two know each other?"

Mark blushed and looked away, "Winter break. Senior year."

Roger let out a laugh, "Well then..."

Mark wasn't sure if Roger realized the significance of that particular winter break, the week when Mark had lost some faith in his best friend and realized that Roger was fallible, not the perfection he had always imagined.

Riley let out a cough, "Well now that pleasantries have been exchanged it was nice meeting you Roger, and Mark it was nice seeing you again, but I probably should be on my way." she clapped her hands together.

"Where are you going to go?" Mark asked.

"I dunno," Riley shrugged, "I'll figure out something... Maybe it's about time I headed back to Dayton."

“Dayton?” Mark cocked his head, “don’t you think that is a bit drastic?”

“This is just the latest in a series of events of things going wrong with my life,” Riley sighed as she sat down on top of one of the boxes, “maybe it’s a sign.”

“Or the Grey’s are all dicks,” Roger interjected.

Riley laughed slightly, “Yeah, suppose you’re right.. Well like I said I should probably go rustle up some change, start making some calls or sleep in the stairwell tonight, goodnight boys.” She then got up and started heading down the stairs.

“Wait!” Mark called after her.

Riley stopped on the stair and looked back at him, “Yes?”

“Why don’t you just stay with us?” Mark suggested.

Riley stared at him in silence for a long moment and Mark looked away, his cheeks burning. "I mean, if you'd like."

"Don't you think you should consult your," Riley paused before turning to Roger, "you are his roommate right?"

"Yeah, Mark," Roger said with a teasing grin, "Shouldn't you consult with me before bringing home strange women?"

Mark's blush deepened, his neck and ears flushing as well, "Like you're one to talk," he mumbled, "Tell me again how you consulted me before Mimi practically moved in?"

"That just sort of happened," Roger replied, "besides you like Mimi, don't you?"

"That's not the point I'm trying to make," Mark sighed, "but would it really be a problem if she stayed?"

"Whatever," Roger shrugged, "she can sleep in Collins old room, unless you two would rather share?" He added suggestively.

Mark wasn't sure if his blush could get any redder. Riley just giggled, but Roger didn't miss the way she looked at Mark.

"So let's get your crap up stairs?" Roger suggested.

"Hey it's not crap," Riley replied, "they are hand picked trinkets that maintain a lot of sentimental value or some shit like that."

Roger laughed and picked up one of the boxes, "I like you."

"So, what did I interrupt?" Riley asked as she followed them upstairs.

"Roger's trying to get back into the music scene," Mark explained, "he has a gig tonight."

“Awesome,” Riley nodded her head.

“You know it!” Roger replied as they were met halfway up the stairs by Mimi.

“What’s going on here?” Mimi asked.

Roger put down the box, “Mark picked up a stray,” he nodded in Riley’s direction.

“She’s not a stray!” Mark called out.

Riley shrugged, "I kind of am."

"Um, okay?" Mimi was still confused.

Mark then put down the box he was carrying, "Mimi this is Riley, Riley this is Mimi, Roger's girlfriend," he began to introduce the two, "Riley has just been evicted so we offered to let her stay with us."

"Hi!" Riley chirped with a grin, "Mark and I met a bunch of years ago."

"When he was still trying to grow some unfortunate facial hair," Roger added.

"Save it, you," Mark grumbled, poking Roger in the side as he passed to put down the box he was carrying.

"Nice to meet you," Mimi said, skipping an handshake to give Riley a little hug, "Now, come on, Roger! You can't be late."

"Yeah, yeah," Roger replied as they got up to the loft and opened the door, "we'll have to unpack later... But in the meantime welcome to the loft."

"Holy shit, this place is huge!" Riley gaped as she put down the box she had been carrying, "damn."

"Don't be fooled," Mimi said with a smirk, "It may be big, but there's no heat."

"Don't diss the loft," Roger retorted, slipping an arm around Mimi's shoulders as the group began making their way back down the stairs, "We've been through some tough times."

"Tough times?" Riley couldn't help but ask as she followed them.

"Withdrawal," Roger replied, very obviously not mentioning and even worse incident. Mark could still remember April's blood on the walls and had to stop himself from shuddering.

 

Riley quickly fell silent, remembering the rather odd circumstances she met Mark under all those years prior.

"Oh," she whispered. She still didn't know exactly what had happened that she found him wandering alone, but they had talked some and that had been enough.

The four of them chatted amiably as they walked to the bar, the first one the Well Hungarians had played at all that time ago, Roger and Mimi hand in hand with Mark and Riley framing them.

"So Riley, what exactly is it that you do?" Mimi asked.

"All sorts of things," Riley shrugged, "I was a musician once upon a time."

"Once upon a time?" Mimi raised an eyebrow, "what happened?"

"Life got in the way," Riley replied sheepishly, "so I was a street vendor for awhile."

"What did you play?" Roger asked.

"Violin," Riley replied casually, "My mom made me take lessons when I was little, classical stuff, you know? When I got older, I got more into other style. Bluegrass and things like that."

"Bluegrass? Funny, not sure I would have pinned you for a country girl," Roger replied, "but then again don't you come from cow town?"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't diss Dayton, we aren't a cow town," Riley folded her arms across her chest, "besides don't you have any respect for history?"

"History?" asked Mimi. She was a New York City girl through and through, and the history of the midwest wasn't her forte any more than it was Roger's or Mark's.

Riley looked between Mimi and Roger, "The Wright brothers? They're from Dayton..."

"Oh, hey, I remember them," Mimi said happily, "The airplane guys!"

"Yup," Riley nodded, "so I'm in good company, and here I was thinking you New York types were cultured," she teased.

"Cultured is one thing," Roger commented, "Ohio is something else, besides haven't you ever noticed that no one ever stays there?"

 

"That's not true," Riley replied frowning slightly, she wanted to defend her home state. She did have a special place in her heart for the flat land out in the middle of nowhere. The supposed heartland of America.

"Yeah? So then why are you here?" Roger laughed.

"Well, there's," Riley paused with a frown, "Um, or there's...shut up."

Roger simply smirked looking very pleased with himself, "Exactly."

Riley turned to Mimi, who stood between her and Roger, "Hit him for me, would you?"  
Mimi obliged, smacking Roger on the chest.

"Ow," Roger pouted.

"Aw," Mimi cooed, "Poor Roger."

"Gonna kiss it and make it better?" Roger gave her his best pleading look.

"As if," Mimi rolled her eyes.

Mark glanced over at Riley, "In case you were wondering, yes they're always like this."

"You poor thing," Riley laughed, "well I guess I'll be here to relieve some of the monotony?"

"Yeah," Mark replied, his cheeks coloring.

Roger made kissy faces at his friend when Mimi and Riley began to giggle together. Mark stuck his tongue out, which Roger returned.

"Well aren't we a mature bunch," Riley spoke in a tone that was just dripping with sarcasm, "and here I was thinking by the time I was twenty three I might be able to have friends who are adults."

"Being an adult is overrated," Roger commented blithely, "It comes with shitty things like paying bills."

"Which clearly I don't do considering I was evicted," Riley sighed, "but you know what I don't think I would have ever met you guys if that didn't happen!"

"We should drink to that!" Mimi added.

"Like we need a reason to drink," Roger chuckled.

Mark rolled his eyes, "Alcoholics, the lot of you."

"Oh, come on," laughed Mimi, "You're as bad as he is."

"I blame his bad influence," Mark replied primly, holding the door of the bar open for the other three before entering.

Roger let out a deep sigh, "I swear to god if you harp back on that Bar Mitzvah thing one more time-"

"You're Jewish too?" Riley exclaimed as she and Mark approached the bar, leaving Roger and Mimi to go get the rocker ready for his set.

"Last name Cohen," joked Mark.

Riley laughed, even though it wasn't particularly funny, she then coughed awkwardly, "Kantor and Cohen. Can't get much more Jewish than that, well at least my mom would be proud that I got together with a nice Jewish boy once." Riley then felt her face get warm as she started thinking back on that night.

"So would mine," Mark burst out, then blushed yet again, "I mean, a nice Jewish girl. Of course. It was bad enough for them that my ex-girlfriend turned out to be a lesbian, if I were gay they might just pass out. Not that there's anything bad about being gay or anything, I mean our friend Collins," he paused, "Sorry, babbling. What're you having to drink?"

A smile spread across Riley's face, the grey eyes as welcome and familiar as the first time he had met her, "After the night I've been having a whole bottle of Scotch sounds wonderful... But considering I can't afford it, two fingers will do."

Mark got the bartender's attention. "Two fingers of scotch, neat," he ordered, glancing at Riley to make sure she didn't oppose the lack of ice, "and whatever you've got on tap."

Riley didn't mind at all, "Beer drinker then?"

Mark shrugged slightly, "Regardless of what Roger and Mimi say, I'm not really a big drinker, so I haven't really had the experience in drinking different things. My dad used to let me have a sip of his beer sometimes, so I guess I grew to like it."

"Huh, well I suppose anything is better than Manishcweitz, but in my case I was corrupted at a young age, perks of growing up 'out west'," Riley used finger quotes to make her point.

Mark laughed, "Good old Manishcweitz. My family was more partial to Mogen David, honestly."

"Not that it matters between one kosher wine and the next," Riley laughed, "they’re all the same, and after that fourth cup on Passover no one cares anymore."

"My parents never let me drink a full four cups," Mark confessed with a smile, accepting their drinks from the bartender. They found a small table near the stage.

"I came here right after high school," he told Riley, "we didn't really have the funds to spend on things like wine and," he looked away, "my parents cut me off for a while, so it wasn't like I could go home for Seder."

"Yeah, I haven't gone back to Ohio. Not once," Riley sighed, she missed her family, she really did but it worried her as to how they would react if she showed up again.

Mark gave her a wry smile, "Same with me and Scarsdale. I mean, part of that was that my parents cut me off until recently."

"That sucks," Riley scoffed slightly, "yeah, didn't exactly part in the best of terms on my part."

Taking a sip of his drink, Mark raised an eyebrow in question. He was really starting to loosen up, some of it due to alcohol and some due to the good company. It was warm in the bar and he unwound his scarf but left it hanging around his neck.

This was the first time that Riley noticed the scarf and she let out a laugh, "Oh my god, is that what Is think it is?" If it had been any other customer Riley doubted she would have remembered but Mark was...different, "That's the scarf I sold you isn't it?"

He could feel the blush heating his face again, "Yeah," he mumbled, "I always wear it."

"Well isn't that cute," Riley smiled as the saw him blush, "guess it wasn't a bad scarf after all."

"Hey you two even paying attention?" Mimi joined them and turned to Mark, "not like he's your best friend or anything”

Mark resisted the urge to scowl at Mimi for the interruption, "He hasn't even started playing yet."

"Well excuse me," the dancer folded her lithe arms across herself, "besides you're hogging my new friend Riley, isn't that right?" Mimi turned to face Riley

Riley couldn't help but smile at Mimi, although she did glance in Mark's direction, "She's got you there."

Mark let out a sigh, there really was never any winning against Mimi if she had her mind made up about something, this was something he had figured out pretty early on in their relationship.

"Mark, get me a rum and coke?" Mimi asked, batting her eyelashes.

He tried to hold on to his resolve, really he did... But he was failing, miserably. Out of the corner of his eye he swore he could see Riley trying to hide a smirk. "Fine, you are damn lucky I like you," he then flagged down the bartender again and ordered a rum and coke for Mimi.

"Thanks Marky," Mimi winked.

Riley giggled, "So sweet."

Mimi looked at her new friend slyly and Riley obviously checked Mark out when he leaned over the bar to get the bartender's attention.

When it came to romance Mimi liked to think nothing ever slipped past her, she had never played matchmaker before, but if Riley and Mark didn't figure it out themselves she was sure that she was going to help them along, besides it really was about time Mark got himself a girlfriend wasn't it?

Riley hastily looked away when Mark came back with the drink.

"Bacardi and coke," he said, sitting again.

"Aw, why'd you get it with Bacardi?" Mimi pouted, "You know I don't like Bacardi."

"Because I knew that you would just start drinking my beer while I was gone," Mark explained, gesturing to the mug that was indeed in Mimi's hand and held much less than it had before, "and I like Bacardi."

Mimi glared at Mark, "Fine," she then proceeded to take sip from the beer just to spite him.

Mark knew that Mimi's glare was just for show and he stuck his tongue out at her. He saw the smile Mimi smile behind the mug.

Mimi was something else, really she was. One moment she could act way older than her twenty years, then there were times like this when she was just like a little kid, and Mark couldn't help but smile.

Mimi lightly kicked Mark's foot under the table in an affectionate manner and minutely tilted her head in Riley's direction. Riley, who was watching the stage where Roger's set was just starting, didn't notice.

Mark shook his head and mouthing what looked like "no way." Mimi let out a huff and mouthed back, "come on, seriously?"

Mark opened and closed his mouth a few times, but didn't really know how to respond. There was no way, what was Mimi thinking? They'd had a thing once, a fling that had gone nowhere and to be honest it was crazy seeing her again.He'd never expected to run into her and he wasn't sure if he would consider it a blessing or a curse. Sure she was cute, but he wasn't looking for any sort of relationship

Mimi appeared to be glowering at him, oh no if he didn't watch it he was sure to wind up a part of one of her schemes. Riley turned back around which caused the silent conversation between him and Mimi to cease, "Am I missing something here?"

"Nope," Mark said quickly, before Mimi could do anything embarrassing, "Mimi's just being herself."

He kicked Mimi lightly under the table as warning and turned his attention to Roger

Riley raised her eyebrows but turned back to the stage, yet she couldn't help her gaze wandering to Mark. God, how he had changed in five years. He was even cuter than the last time. The only thing that was different about Riley was that her skin had cleared up. Not only had Mark changed physically, but there was something different about his eyes that was more mature, but also more sad. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to bring that about, she recalled Roger mentioning something about withdrawal and tough times but that had all been very vague. 

She knew better than to ask. If Mark wanted to share, he would, but she knew the desire for secrets to be kept secret. She shuddered as she thought about Blake. That had been a big mistake, probably the biggest mistake of her life coupled with running away from home. She contemplated the glass in her hands, oh yes she certainly had her secrets too.

Riley was pulled out of her thoughts by the end of Roger's set as the whole bar got to its feet, whistles and cheers filling the air.

She could see Mark smiling, clearly very proud and excited about seeing his friend on stage. Maybe she did miss the rush of performing live, she stood up next to Mark to applaud Roger's performance.

Mark had pulled out his video camera half way through and now he had to hold it up over his head to try to get Roger in frame. This was a drawback of being shorter than most of the crowd, so he hoped he was getting a good shot. Well, it had been like this at Maureen's protest (less mooing and rioting that's for sure).

The cheers eventually reduced to the normal bar murmur and Mark switched off his camera, swallowing the last of his drink before the three of them started to make their way to the backstage area.

Something came over Riley, she gently bumped against Mark. At least it was something that could be blamed on the amount of people that were around. Perhaps it was the scotch, but come on it had been one drink, harmless, right? Mark started slightly and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He wasn't sure if she had done it on purpose or not.

"Roger!" Mimi threw her arms around Roger, planting a kiss on his cheek, "You were amazing!"

"Everyone loved it," Mark added, smiling widely.

Roger untangled himself from Mimi to pull Mark into a hug of his own, ruffling his hair affectionately, "Camera?"

"Always."

Roger slung the guitar across his back and took Mimi's hand as they began to walk back to the loft. The conversation was light and easy, but Mark was only half paying attention, his mind elsewhere. The light brush against his hand made him jump and he glanced over at Riley. She smiled at him as their gazes met and deliberately threaded their fingers together. Mark felt that infernal blush rising again, but he didn't let go.

Riley felt like there was electricity coursing through her veins, and she liked it. Okay, this was weird, love at first sight doesn't exist... Then again this wasn't at first sight... So maybe this was okay?

The slightly dazed smile on Mark's face told her that it would definitely be okay.


End file.
